CM April 10, 1996. Vol II, Number 27

Table of Contents

Book Reviews

CDN Two Too Many.
Jo Ellen Bogart. Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart.
Review by Leslie Millar.
Grades K - 2 / Ages 5 - 8.

CDN Songs for Survival.
Compiled by Nikki Siegen-Smith. Illustrated by Bernard Lodge.
Review by Lorraine Douglas.
Grades 4 - 6 / Ages 8 - 11.

CDNShark Attacks & Spider Snacks.
Written and Illustrated by Roy Condy.
Review by Leslie Millar.
Grades 3 - 6 / Ages 8 - 12.

CDNThe Cup of Mari Anu.
Yvonne Owens. Illustrated by Kevan Lane Miller.
Review by Maryleah Otto.
Grades 4 - 7 / Ages 9 - 12.

CDNGood for What Ails You:
Self-help Remedies from 19th Century Canada.
Jim Cameron.
Review by Bob Haxton.
Grades 8 and Up / Ages 14 to Adult.

Video Review

CDNKeyeye: Making Kids Safe.
Produced by Kent Gravelle and Robin Webb.
Review by Theresa Yauk.
Grades 3 - 7 / Ages 8 - 12.

Multimedia/CD-ROM Review

INTEdward Lear's
Book of Nonsense.
Written and illustrated by
Edward Lear.
MAXIMA New Media Ltd.
Review by Theresa Yauk.
Grades 3 and Up / Ages 8 to Adult.

Features

Notable Web Sites

Book Review

Two Too Many.

Jo Ellen Bogart. Illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart.
Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1996. 24pp, paper, $5.99.
ISBN: 0-590-24906-1.

Grades K - 2 / Ages 5 - 8.
Review by Leslie Millar.

**/4

excerpt:

Reginald had two too many rockers on his chair.
Madeleine had two too many saddles on her mare.
Eleanora's elephant had two too many knees.
Susan's Mississippi had two too many "P"'s.

Jo Ellen Bogart has written a counting book of sorts in Two Too Many. She makes her home in Guelph, Ontario and has published several children's books, among them Gifts, Mama's Bed, Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw, and Malcolm's Runaway Soap.

Two Too Many is presented as a pre-school story. There is one line of text for each full page of illustration, but the concept of "two too many" is quite abstract, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. It is not really a counting book in the true sense of the genre. Counting books typically offer a logical counting progression that readers can work out, anticipate, and succeed at.

For example, the lovable bug in Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar eats his way through one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three grapes on Wednesday, and so on. In Two Too Many there are a different number of items to count on each page. Two extra bedposts make six bedposts in total, two extra saddles make three, two extra antlers make four. . . . There is no pattern to work with. And counting "two" of anything -- as in "two too many" -- does not qualify as a counting book at ages five to eight.

Many of the "two too many" items, such as bedposts, reels, and the balsa-wood biplane, may be unfamiliar to children. Some illustrations deal with the idea that even one of some things would be too much: the line "Marvin's mama gave him two too many brussel sprouts" is illustrated by two sprouts on an otherwise empty plate with an obviously unhappy Marvin looking on.

The joke is that Marvin hates brussel sprouts and that even one is too many for him. But this abstract concept elicited blank stares from the test group of five-year-olds I read the story to, as did the other illustration dealing with the same point.

At ages five to eight, children are learning the rudiments of counting and basic math. Confusing and illogical stories aren't helpful. Several parts of Two Too Many require an adult to stop and offer explanation and guidance. By the time children may be comfortable with the concept of "two too many," they will have outgrown the format of this book, which looks like a pre-primary story.

Yvonne Cathcart's illustrations are rich with colour and texture, and the children she draws come in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Her pictures are so crowded, however, that the "two too many" items in the accompanying text are not always easy to find. The book would be easier to follow outside a classroom setting, where one could afford the time to peruse and discuss the illustrations, and perhaps ignore the text.

The trite message of "what to do with an extra pair . . . share, share, share" that comes at the end of the book only serves to annoy. Is that where this counting story was heading all along? Spare the readers, children and adults alike.

Not recommended.

Leslie Millar is a substitute teacher and volunteer in Winnipeg schools.

Book Review

Songs for Survival.

Compiled by Nikki Siegen-Smith. Illustrated by Bernard Lodge.
Toronto, ON: Key Porter, 1996. 80pp, cloth, $24.95.
ISBN: 1-55013-695-X.

Grades 4 - 6 / Ages 8 - 11.
Review by Lorraine Douglas.
***/4

excerpt:

Our Children's Earth

(Nomadic Pastoralists, Africa)

Treat the earth well.
It was not given to us by our fathers,
But is lent to us by our children.

What is happiness?

(Santal, Asia)

In life, what is happiness?
In life, what is joy?
To be in love with others
For when we die,
We go with no one.

This attractive volume gathers songs from tribal peoples all over the world in four thematic chapters in. The themes are:

Each chapter has an easy-to-read introduction that explains the significance of the theme to aboriginal peoples. Each song is illustrated with a boldly coloured linocut that reflects the tribe's art forms. A continuous decorative border at the bottom of each page adds to the unity of the design.

Notes beneath each of the songs add to their meaning and understanding. The selections range from poignant songs of loss to prayers for rain to wonderful poetic imagery. A very brief description of each tribes is included, but a world map with locations would have added to children's understanding. One section explains the work of Survival International, a worldwide organization that supports tribal peoples. A helpful index to the first lines of the fifty-six songs is included, but again, a listing by world region would have been useful for researchers looking for resource materials from specific continents.

Recommended.

Lorraine Douglas is Youth Services Coordinator for the Winnipeg Public Library.

Book Review

Shark Attacks & Spider Snacks.

Written and Illustrated by Roy Condy.
Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1996. 62pp, paper, $5.99.
ISBN: 0-590-24622-4.

Grades 3 - 6 / Ages 8 - 12.
Review by Leslie Millar.

****/4

excerpt:

Track-Star Turtles

Think all turtles are slow? Think again.
Soft-shelled turtles are the fastest turtles alive. They're pretty funny to look at: with their flat, round shells and pig-like snouts, they resemble pan-cakes with noses. But these are some serious turtles. Not only do they bite, but one North American species can out-run humans on level ground!
The clumsy-looking creature is just as quick under water. It can easily outswim a brook trout, the fastest freshwater fish.

Roy Condy came to Canada in 1946, and now makes his home in Ontario. Shark Attacks & Spider Snacks is the first book he has written, although he has long lent his talent at illustration to the world of television, text books, and children's literature. Some of the titles he's illustrated include How to Get Rid of Bad Dreams; Christopher, Please Clean Up Your Room; and the Scholastic Student Organizer Diary.

In Shark Attacks, Condy has compiled several intriguing, little-known animal facts that will be interesting to all ages. Thirty animal facts are described, usually in less than a hundred words. Each mini-story has its own headline caption that relates to the fact being presented. The information is imparted with a cheerful, "isn't this fascinating?" sort of tone. Condy's black-and-white illustrations, cartoonish and filled with visual gags, perfectly suit the tone of the text.

The animals included range from fleas to sharks, and hale from all over the globe. The stories could be connected to many themes or subjects, and the short, info-bite format makes it ideal for reading aloud to a class, a few a day to pique interest. The pieces could be the starting point for creative writing activities, or inspiration into further research into specific animals.

This book deserves a place in the classroom or at home. The vocabulary used makes it more suitable for independent reading at a grade five and six level, but the content would be enjoyed by grade three and four students as well. It is good entertainment, and at $5.99, good value for your buck.

Highly recommended.

Leslie Millar is a substitute teacher and volunteer in Winnipeg schools.

Book Review

The Cup of Mari Anu.

Yvonne Owens. Illustrated by Kevan Lane Miller.
Victoria, BC, Horned Owl Publishing, 1995. 36pp, paper, $12.95.
ISBN: 0-9696066-1-3.

Grades 4 - 7 / Ages 9 - 12.
Review by Maryleah Otto.
***/4

excerpt:

She learned that there are many chalices in the world like the Cup of Mari Anu and the Holy Grail of the Isle of Women, and that they are a sacred trust of all women. They represent the actual essence of women as the symbols of women's sacred nature. The Cups mean many things to different people. They signify the cauldron of the belly, the womb, and creativity. They are symbols of nurture and of life itself. Lu Sin learned that the Cups exist wherever this awareness exists . . . And she learned that wherever this awareness is not, the Cup of Life exists not, for treasures can be lost or stolen or disappear. Rivers, lakes and the entire oceans can become poisoned and die.

Yvonne Owens draws on her lifelong study of mythology, adding elements from folklore, shamanism, and magic, to tell the story of Lu Sin and the wild dog, a story in the pattern of the Holy Grail myth.

Lu Sin is a five-year-old girl, mute since birth, sent with an elderly wise-woman to become a priestess in the Temple where the sacred Cup of Mari Anu (goddess of Lu Sin's people) is lovingly guarded. This cup is linked to the community's well-being and prosperity. When they begin to neglect the Temple, the cup mysteriously vanishes and hard times befall everyone.

Lu Sin, accompanied by a wild jackal that she has tamed, sets out with most of her tribe to journey westward in search of the magic cup that will restore life and health to their people. After seven years of wandering, Lu Sin goes on alone to a holy mountain where she spends a month in a cave, during which time she is given special powers by a shaman who comes to her in a dream. She is also transformed from a mute child into a young woman with normal speech.

On her return, she leads her people southward through Phoenicia, where they settle in a village they call Ugarit. From here she again goes on alone, this time to sea -- dressed as a boy in order to gain passage on the Golden Hind, a trading vessel bound for the Misty Isles in the westernmost ocean. The ship goes down when it is attacked by Berber Pirates. Lu Sin, who has been given the power to survive in water, saves a small child from drowning and both are carried to shore by a dolphin.

The child, whom Lu Sin call Mara, speaks a different language but she and Lu Sin communicate by thought transference. They spend many months until they are rescued by a Briton ship. Mara recognizes the ship as belonging to her own people and soon she is reunited with them on their island home in the westernmost sea. Lu Sin is taken to the Holy Isle of Women where priestesses teach her celestial navigation, music, dance, and the art of prophesy. After four years, she is given a magic cup, similar to the lost Cup of Mari Anu, to take home so that her people may prosper once again.

This is a book for those who love mythology in which women play the central roles. Many of the events in the plot are familiar elements from myth, legend, and fairy tale. The Cup of Mari Anu is a good yarn, graphically told with lots of action and derring-do. All the elements of the genre are there: innocence rewarded, vengeful gods, rites of passage, magic, quests, and humanity's endless search for Eden.

The style and language come close to that of classical mythology but I'd have liked a much less direct moral at the end, when Owens's voice comes through loud and clear, warning the reader about despoiling Mother Nature. Kevan Lane Miller's large, colourful painterly illustrations capture the essence of the narrative perfectly. They are a most valuable adjunct to the text. The book is printed on heavy paper and is well bound, with clear type and an attractive layout.

The publisher plans to bring out more volumes in this series of legendary and magic tales. It will be interesting to see if they will also be such strong statements of the author's point of view.

The Cup of Mari Anu will be welcome on the children's mythology shelf. It could also be used as background reading for feminist studies in higher grades.

Recommended.

Maryleah Otto is a former children's librarian in Toronto and London, Ontario. She has had four books for children published since 1985.

The Cup of Mari Anu was reviewed by classes across Canada as part of the Collaborative Book Review Project. You can read the students' reviews at the Collaborative Book Review Project site.

Book Review

Good for What Ails You:
Self-help Remedies from 19th Century Canada.

Jim Cameron.
Burnstown, ON: General Store Publishing Company, 1995. 220pp, paper, $17.95.
ISBN: 0-919431-93-3.

Grades 8 and Up / Ages 14 to Adult.

Review by Bob Haxton.
***/4

Jim Cameron, PhD., is an Associate Professor of Geography at York University with an interest in nineteenth-century Canada. From the books, pamphlets, and newspapers of the period, as well as replies from letters to newspapers and Women's Institutes, he has culled self-help remedies for ailments from nervous disorders to cancer.

The author makes no claim for the efficacy of these remedies; rather, he puts in a disclaimer to ward off litigation. There is no medical evaluation here. The author's purpose is not to resurrect potentially helpful cures from the past, but to illuminate an important aspect of pioneer life: staying alive.

This was a time when many people had no access to professional medicine, and those that did had little faith in it. "Professional medicine was just evolving. . . . the medical profession did not have all the answers or even most of the answers and the people knew it."

Cameron gives an interesting breakdown of the various types of remedies available. The two main divisions are "domestic medicine" and "sectarian medicine." The first consists of folk medicine, self-help medicine, and female midwifery. Folk medicine is defined as "essentially an oral tradition of superstition, myth and images"; self-help medicine is the main body of remedies, the product of experience and experimentation; and of female midwifery, he says, "midwives were of importance not only as caregivers, but also as knowledgable keepers and translators of the self-help tradition."

The second division, sectarian medicine, was characterized by practitioners that purported to follow some particular theory of medical treatment. They included the Thompsonians (botanic medicine), and the practitioners of Homeopathy, Eclecticism, and Entrepreneurs. I looked for an elaboration of these terms, particularly the last two, but except for a profile of Dr. Taylor of the Thompsonian school, found none.

Good for What Ails You consists primarily of recipes, cures, and treatments. There is a short introductory history, some interesting first-person accounts, excerpts from the main self-help books of the time, and profiles on leading practitioners, including the famous Dr. Chase (of "Dr. Chase's Nerve Food"), but 90 percent of the book consists of remedies.

Good for What Ails You is well illustrated with period black-and-white photographs and illustrations, including reproductions of a number of labels from self-help remedies. The book is organized by topic, and besides a table of contents, there is a detailed topical index of remedies in the back of the book. There is not, however, an overall index. There is an extensive bibliography, and a page entitled "Endnotes" which contains the footnote references.

I found it odd that there was no mention of the vast store of Chinese herbal remedies that were available, at least in British Columbia, at that time.

The emphasis on actual remedies over the history and context make the book less useful to a school, but what history there is, particularly the anecdotal material, would make an interesting addition to an essay on pioneer life; the growth of the medical profession; or the role of women in these formative years of our economic and social history.

Recommended.

Bob Haxton is a teacher-librarian at Prince of Wales Secondary School in Vancouver.

Video Review

Keyeye: Making Kids Safe.

Produced by Kent Gravelle and Robin Webb.
Maple Ridge, BC: Keyeye Productions, 1996.
51 min., VHS, $24.95 ($74.95 with public performance rights).
0-9680537-1-8.

Grades 3 - 7 / Ages 8 - 12.
Review by Theresa Yauk.

****/4

excerpt:

We all have the ability to recognize danger. It's a matter of knowing what to look for that keeps us safe -- that keeps us from getting hurt or being taken away. We'd like to show you how to do just that. So -- the object of this program is to learn to recognize danger in our daily lives no matter how small. That means learning to listen to your gut and trust your instincts.

This high-quality video is the result of years of work. The Keyeye program has been taught in schools since 1981, and the producers of this video also put out Hands Off II in 1990, a self-defense video for women that also included a segment at the end showing the Keyeye program for children.

Keyeye: Making Kids Safe discusses issues concerning child safety, specifically stranger assault and abduction. In doing so, the makers of this video strive to empower children by stressing that children can play a part in extricating themselves from situations that might be dangerous. One portion of the video depicts various holds abductors can place on children, allowing actual children in a school auditorium the opportunity to practice getting out of these holds to escape a would-be abductor. In this way, children viewing the video can see that it is possible for children to defend themselves against adults, and that they are not helpless.

The purpose of Making Kids Safe is to demonstrate to children that they should trust their intuition, and that they should be suspicious and aware of what is going on around them. The video is geared for middle-to-upper-elementary school children, and children in this age group are also urged to keep an eye out for younger children, and offer them help if a bad situation arises. To deal with the issue of child abduction, children read out scenarios about how they would trick children into going with them if they were adult abductors. By allowing the children the opportunity to share their own ideas, the video lets children to teach each other.

The children's participation also means that the language and concepts used are appropriate for the intended audience. After each scenario is read out, a taped dramatization of such an incident is shown to the children. After the dramatizations, children discuss what could have occurred differently in the scenarios, and alternative scenarios are offered to show how such abductions could be avoided. Both children and their parents offer suggestions and ideas throughout this portion of the program.

The producers of Making Kids Safe are to be commended for their handling of these scenarios. The adult abductors are "normal" looking, and are both male and female. The ruses depicted are contemporary (such as an adult male attempting to lure a young boy into a hot-rod blaring loud music).

Several scenarios involve ruses that children would find very difficult to detect. For instance, one shows a man with a police officer's badge asking a young boy to come with him to the hospital to see his mother. Afterwards, an actual police officer tells children ways to handle such a situation. Unlike some safety videos on the market, Making Kids Safe has a narrow enough mandate to allow it to deal with the issue of stranger abduction and assault comprehensively.

The video is not only extremely informative, but also somewhat entertaining. Robin Webb, the workshop leader, is a charismatic individual who manages to balance the seriousness of the topic with some occasional humour lightening the mood to make it more enjoyable to view. Webb also has a good rapport with the children; he never condescends to his audience, but always shows real respect for children.

The program also recognizes changes in the traditional family. For instance, Webb provides ideas that could help ensure that latchkey children are kept safe, like having a tape of a parent's voice play when the child answers the telephone.

The technical quality of Making Kids Safe matches the content: the images are always in focus and capture any necessary detail, and the sound is clear. As a result, the video has a professional look to it that will ensure that viewers will pay attention.

The cost of Keyeye: Making Kids Safe is reasonable, both for regular and public performance rights copies. Also, the makers of this video state at the outset of the program that copies of this video can be made without penalty and given to children, further showing their commitment to child safety.

This video would be an excellent addition to public or school library collections, and would also be appropriate for home use. Adults should bear in mind, however, that parents or adults should really be present at any viewing. This video will engender discussion, and there are points in the video where an adult should stop the tape and discuss pertinent issues with children. And children viewing the program are not going to learn how to escape holds only by watching other children practice -- they need the opportunity to practice these escapes themselves with adults.

Highly recommended.

Theresa Yauk works in the Special Services department at the Winnipeg Centennial library; she previously worked in the Children's Department for six years. She is currently studying for a Master's degree in Library and Information Science.

Multimedia/CD-ROM Review

Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense.

Written and illustrated by Edward Lear.
Edited by Simcha Shtull.
Israel: MAXIMA New Media Ltd., 1995.
46pp, hard-cover book with CD (including 3 audio tracks and one CD-ROM track), $24.95.
ISBN: 1-888297-01-8.

Grades 3 and Up / Ages 8 to Adult.
Review by Theresa Yauk.

**/4

excerpt:

`How pleasant to know Mr. Lear!'
Who has written such volumes of stuff!
Some think him ill-tempered and queer,
But a few think him pleasant enough.

His mind is concrete and fastidious,
His nose is remarkably big;
His visage is more or less hideous,
His beard it resembles a wig."

Of course, the above was written by none other than Edward Lear himself, and is included in Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense. This multimedia set celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lear's first Book of Nonsense, -- evidence of the timeless appeal of Lear's work. The attractive hard-cover book includes Lear's simple and comic black-and-white illustrations.

The accompanying CD contains narration of all the verse contained in the book, read beautifully by Yonny Lucas. The music contained on these tracks is appropriate for the verse, and is very upbeat and engaging. Effects such as birds trilling (to accompany a rhyme about birds) also further entertain the listener and provide an excellent addition to the book.

The problem with this package is that the book and audio CD tracks are so well done that the publishers really should have decided against the CD-ROM track, and included more material in the other formats. The CD-ROM track contains little in the way of animation. For instance, the "More Botany Nonsense" and "More Funny People" sections only have illustrations and text. These segments would have been better included in the book and on the audio portion of the CD.

Though the graphics on the CD-ROM are clear, computer images generally look best in colour. But the understated, black-and-white lines of Lear's illustrations are most suited to print. Why use the CD-ROM format when no improvement can really be made to the original format, and when there is little interaction between the user and the CD-ROM? This seems a case where the publisher has jumped on the CD-ROM bandwagon, without much thought to the appropriateness of the format.

Though I have mentioned that I quite enjoyed both the book and the audio tracks, both are too short. Other versions of Lear's works run two hundred or more pages, while this book has only forty-six. Though the book is made well, is very readable and attractive, it provides only a limited amount of Lear, even when coupled with the CD-ROM track. As the set stands, it's hard to recommend.

While the book and accompanying narration are delightful, they would have to contain more of Lear's verse to be worth the price, and that could only happen if the publishers hadn't tried to include too many formats in one set.

Not recommended.

Theresa Yauk works in the Special Services department at the Winnipeg Centennial library; she previously worked in the Children's Department for six years. She is currently studying for a Master's degree in Library and Information Science.

Notable Web-Sites

Every week, CM presents a brief collection of noteworthy, useful, or just interesting sites we've turned up and actually checked.

Please send us URLs and evaluations of any web-sites you think deserve the exposure.

Magic Show
http://www.uelectric.com/magicshow/

Kids like performing magic tricks because it turns the tables on an otherwise hostile universe. This online magic magazine lets readers in on some of the professional secrets to fooling people, with step-by-step instructions, video examples, and tips on where to find the really clever stuff (magicians don't really mind telling you their secrets, but you have to work for it).

The JASON Project
http://www.aquarius.eds.com

"Our JASON VII journey takes us south of the Florida Keys and 60 feet below the water's surface. You'll join us in exploring these depths from the comfort of the world's only underwater research habitat - AQUARIUS. The expedition's from April 15-26."

Okay, no space or robot stuff this time, just this highly cool submarine exploration site. Live chats with the scientists, broadcasts from the sub, virtual reality tours (if you have the bandwidth), views from the portholes at that moment and more.

Chicago's Museum of Science And Industry
http://www.msichicago.org/

Well here's something special, a museum site that doesn't use a dopey map metaphor. What it does do is give a good taste of what visiting the MSI (one of the best museums in the world) is like. See Colleen Moore's astonishing fairy-castle dollhouse; check out the "hatching chicks" (though I always wonder what they do with them once they're done hatching); check out the "AIDS: The War Within display"... "Animated Industrial Gears"... lots more. But not, alas, as far as I could tell in a brief visit, their actual captured German U-Boat.

Cockroach World
http://www.nj.com/yucky/index.html

You've probably heard about it. And it says " Click here to visit the grossest family site on the Net."

Well, it's just that cool (and informative). Cockroaches wear their skeletons on the outside of their bodies was "Today's Fun Fact" when I looked. You also get "A Day in the Life of a Cockroach" and a test your knowledge of cockroaches, "Cockroach World," quiz. In "activities learn how to catch and keep cockroaches. See the sights and sounds of `Cockroach World' in the multimedia library..."

How to catch and keep them. Notice again how our perspectives completely alter as we age. . . .

The McDougall Sound Archaeological Research Project Virtual Slide Show
http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/faculties/SS/ARKY/show/showintro.html

This presentation of the University of Calgary's archaeological findings about the Dorset people of the arctic has won a bag-full of awards --- deservingly. This is the only web-site I've ever seen good enough to just click and leave running on a big monitor while students watch. Any senior classes interested in Canadian history, or archaeology should check this out. Sound-clips of Inuit thoat-singing too.


CM
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Duncan Thornton
e-mail: cmeditor@mts.net

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Executive Assistant
Peter Tittenberger
e-mail: cm@umanitoba.ca

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